NFL Player News

Otton (groin) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Otton sustained a hamstring injury early in training camp, got back on the practice field as of Aug. 11 and played in preseason Week 2, when he didn't gather in either of his two targets. He then came down with a leg issue last Wednesday that now has been confirmed as a groin concern. Otton's status thus bears monitoring as the week goes on to get a sense of his chances to suit up Sunday in Atlanta.

Gesicki (hamstring) is not listed on Wednesday's injury report, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

Gesicki missed much of August due to a hamstring injury, which gave Noah Fant an opportunity to handle expanded first-team reps at tight end, but he's back to full health ahead of Sunday's regular-season opener on the road against Cleveland. With premier target hogs Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins atop the wide receiver depth chart and backfield mates Chase Brown and Samaje Perine both boasting a three-down skillset, Gesicki has a difficult path to earning consistent target volume on a weekly basis, especially with Fant now offering competition. He is still, however, the favorite to lead the Bengals' tight end position in targets after having inked a three-year, $25.5 million extension with the team this offseason.

Waller (hip) did not participate in Wednesday's practice, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

Waller is officially listed with a hip injury, though coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday that the veteran tight end hasn't had any injury setbacks and is simply on a ramp-up schedule, per Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site. McDaniel said Waller, who missed time early in training camp while working on his conditioning, will retake the practice field Thursday. Waller still appears on track for Sunday's regular-season opener on the road at Indianapolis, but how extensive a snap share he'll be ready for Week 1 remains to be seen.

LaPorta (undisclosed) wasn't listed on the Lions' practice estimate Wednesday.

Like most of the Lions' key players, LaPorta didn't play in the preseason, but he also tended to an undisclosed injury in mid-August. He's been back on the practice field since Aug. 19, though, and now is poised to resume his standing as the team's No. 1 TE, which equated to 60 catches (on 83 targets) for 726 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 regular-season games in 2024.

Likely (foot) is not practicing Wednesday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Likely has yet to resume practicing since undergoing surgery to address a small fracture in his left foot suffered late July, and though the Ravens still anticipate him returning early in the season, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that he isn't expected to suit up Sunday night on the road against Buffalo. Still, Baltimore's decision not to place Likely on short-term IR, which would rule him out the first four games of the year, is a strong indication that he remains on track to return in September. For at least Week 1, however, Charlie Kolar projects to work as the No. 2 tight end behind Mark Andrews.

Likely (foot) is not expected to suit up for his targeted return date of Week 1 on the road against Buffalo on Sunday, but his recovery is proceeding on track and the Ravens still expect him to be available early in the regular season, Jeremy Brener of SI.com reports.

Likely dodged IR to begin the regular season, confirming that Baltimore expects him to miss less than four games before he retakes the field. For at least Week 1, though, Mark Andrews appears in line to handle increased reps as the Ravens' clear top tight end, while Charlie Kolar steps into an expanded backup role. New No. 3 receiver DeAndre Hopkins will also figure to benefit from a slight uptick in target opportunities as long as Likely remains sidelined. Likely didn't practice Monday, but if he can return as at least a limited participant ahead of Sunday's regular-season opener, suiting up Week 2 against the Browns may be in play.

Likely (foot) is not expected to suit up for Sunday's regular-season opener on the road against Buffalo, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Likely, who is recovering from surgery undergone in late July to address a small fracture in his left foot, was a non-participant at Monday's practice and does not appear on track to play Week 1. His official injury designation for Week 1 will be disclosed Friday, but at this stage it won't be surprising if he sits out Wednesday's practice as well.

The Texans restructured Schultz's contract Tuesday to convert the $11.5 million he was slated to make into a signing bonus, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

The move to restructure Schultz's 2025 pay from base salary into a signing bonus lowers the Texans' salary cap for this season, and the veteran tight end is still slated to make the $11 million he's owed in 2026. Schultz played in all 17 regular-season games in 2024 and finished with 53 catches on 85 targets for 532 yards and two touchdowns, all of which were his lowest totals since his 2019 campaign with the Cowboys.

Westover is now listed as a fullback on the Patriots' official depth chart, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Westover played fullback during the first two years of his collegiate career at Washington before changing to tight end as a junior. He remained at tight end during his rookie season in 2024, but he operated as a fullback during the offseason and will officially make the switch back to backfield blocker for the 2025 campaign. Westover appeared in three regular-season games for the Patriots in 2024 and mostly operated in a special-teams role.

Kincaid isn't expected to see an expanded role in 2025 compared to what he handled last season, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

When both Kincaid and fellow tight end Dalton Knox were healthy last season, the former played 66 percent of the offensive snaps, and the latter took on a 56 percent share. Based on his observations during training camp and the preseason, Buscaglia notes that because Kincaid "still has his hangups as a blocker," the 25-year-old's playing time isn't expected to dramatically exceed the 66 percent mark from 2024, at least not in the early part of the season. Though Kincaid is fully healthy again after a knee injury kept him from playing in three games in the second half of last season and may have affected his workload upon returning to action, the Bills don't yet seem prepared to lean on him as a true full-time player. Kincaid brings more pass-catching upside to the table, but Knox's importance as a run blocker and occasional underneath target for quarterback Josh Allen should ensure that Knox has a meaningful role in the Buffalo offense.